At least 188 people are known to have died. hundreds more injured in Venezuela after the country was hit by two powerful earthquakes late on Wednesday afternoon. Thousands more people are feared dead as rescue crews work through the rubble along the shattered north coast.
A state of emergency has been declared by Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who has spoken to US secretary of state Marco Rubio. been “in constant contact” with the Trump administration, which has pledged $150m in aid.
More than 100 buildings collapsed in La Guaira. a small coastal state north of Caracas that was hardest hit by the earthquakes, said the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha). The level of devastation is overwhelming local authorities, Ocha said. Besides La Guaira, the worst affected regions were the capital of Caracas as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo. Falcón, Rodríguez said.
One of the quakes measured in at 7.5 magnitude. making it the most powerful tremor to hit the country since 1900. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS). there have been five earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 7 in northern Venezuela or near the coast since 1900 – the other earthquake that struck Wednesday night came in at 7.2 magnitude.
An estimated 7.9m people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes. meaning that their living conditions have likely been made even worse in the aftermath of the destruction, Oxfam said Thursday.
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The US government has pledged $150m in aid for Venezuela following the devastating earthquake.
The State Department said the package would include $50m for aid groups already working in Venezuela. as well as a $100m contribution to a UN humanitarian fund for the country.
The deadly double earthquake which struck Venezuela’s coast, west of the capital Caracas, was an event known as a “doublet”.
According to the US Geological Survey. doublet earthquakes happen when a pair of similar-sized quakes follow one another in quick succession.
On Wednesday, a 7.2 magnitude tremor hit first, followed by a larger 7.5 magnitude quake just 39 seconds later.
Doublets are less common than typical earthquakes in which a main quake is followed by much smaller aftershocks.
Nonetheless, doublets can happen anywhere in the world,. tend to indicate a complex fault structure, like the one in Venezuela that’s known as the Bocono fault.
Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, has said his administration should reopen the embassies in Venezuela. Iran that his predecessors closed.
Speaking on Thursday, he said he recognised the disagreements which led to the closures,. said Canada’s current lack of diplomatic presence is not only hampering Ottawa’s ability to help Canadians abroad, but is also limiting its ability to respond to humanitarian crises.
“Engagement is not endorsement,” Carney said. “Having an embassy, having consular services in a country, does not mean we endorse the policies of that country.”
A decision has not yet been made, he said, but added that the situation needs to change.
Canada suspended operations at its embassy in Venezuela in 2019. saying the regime of then Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro would not renew visas for its diplomats.
“There are a series of countries with whom we don’t see eye to eye. to put it mildly, where we don’t have representation in the country,” Carney said. “And that puts us as a disadvantage, first and foremost, to helping Canadians that are in these countries.”
The death toll has risen to 188. with more than 1,500 people injured after two powerful earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday.
Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the national assembly, told reporters that 1,520 victims had been taken to hospital for treatment. There were also 157 people missing, Rodríguez added, calling on citizens to report to the government relatives who are missing.
Hector Moran Cirkovic. 61, a former architect, was by the beach in Catia La Mar, in La Guaira, about 45 minutes by car from the centre of Caracas. He was with his wife and adult daughter and other family members when they saw the earthquakes hit.
“We were by the swimming pool,” he says of their location at the Club Playa Grande Yachting Club. “First the earthquakes were mild, then very strong for 40 seconds, then I saw buildings collapse in front of me.”
He says he saw five buildings “collapsed vertically in front of my eyes”. In total, he saw around 30 collapsed buildings in the vicinity.
One of the buildings they saw collapse was the twin 13-floor building next to the one where they have a beach flat.
“We used to play there when we were kids; it’s really shocking. We know people from there. It was brutal and very fast. There weren’t even five seconds to leave. Everybody [around them] was shouting and in shock, thinking life is over. There was lots of fear, panic and hysteria, but we were safe at the club.”
He said the electricity. internet went down, and after the family stayed by the beach “for about four hours,” then decided to drive back in two cars to their home in Santa Monica, southwest of Caracas.
“Most roads were blocked but we found a gap and managed to leave the area,” he said.
The highway to Caracas was “unviable”, so they took small roads until they got home several hours later.
“While we were driving we saw destroyed buildings and bodies on the road.”
Hector said he stayed cool but “lost it” on Thursday morning.
“I couldn’t help crying, I grew up there, right in front of those flats and the beach club” he said. “My father was a founder member.”
In Caracas, his family’s home was not badly damaged: the lift was stuck, “lots of stuff broken”,. their piano had travelled from one side of the room to the other.
He said there is an atmosphere of tension and fear.
“There is lots of destruction. People are very scared, and some are panic-buying. The roads are quiet. Electricity is patchy. People were on the street either tidying up or patching the streets to make them drivable,. some are sleeping in their cars or just on chairs in the street.”
Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico, told the Associated Press that Mexico was sending a team of military rescue workers. medical personnel to Venezuela on Thursday.
“Mexico is always and will be in solidarity,” Sheinbaum p osted on X.
Canada will provide humanitarian assistance to support Venezuela in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney posted on X.
“On behalf of Canadians, I offer my sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who were lost. My thoughts are with everyone who has been injured or displaced. with the first responders working tirelessly to save lives,” Carney said.
“Canada is preparing humanitarian assistance to support Venezuelans in the days and weeks ahead.”
The Guardian’s Lucy Hough with the Today in Focus podcast speaks to Latin America correspondent Tom Phillips about rescue efforts. a state of emergency in Venezuela. Have a listen:
An estimated 7.9m people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian assistance as of early 2026. Oxfam said Thursday, with the charity warning that the current situation after the earthquakes will likely worse those conditions.
“This event compounds an already severe humanitarian crisis,” said Magnus Corfixen, humanitarian lead at Oxfam.
Corfixen said that Oxfam’s partners have already begun conducting initial assessments to “determine the extent of the damage. the most urgent needs of the affected communities”.
“At Oxfam, we will activate our solidarity mechanisms to support the humanitarian response, in coordination with our local partners. in accordance with our operational capacities,” Corfixen said. “We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the most affected populations, prioritizing relevant, timely, and community-centered actions.”
The US defence department “stands ready” to support Venezuela. the US state department in the aftermath of the earthquakes, Sean Parnell, a spokesman for the Pentagon, posted on X.
“Our forces are prepared to move quickly, bringing the unmatched airlift, logistics,. operational capabilities of the US military to help save lives and support the government of Venezuela during this crisis,” Parnell said.
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